TDN OP-ED: Jerry Brown on missing Lasix discussion point

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

No, a horse running on Lasix may run faster than it would not running on Lasix (because it's not breathing in its own blood) but Lasix is not going to make a slow horse run faster than a fast horse. As has been pointed out, Smarty Jones ran the first seven (six?) races of his career not on Lasix. His competition was on Lasix. So, according to your statement, they should have beaten him because "horses with Lasix run faster than horses without Lasix. Period." But he beat them because he was the fastest horse in those races. His competition might have run better than they would have not on Lasix, but they still weren't faster than he was. Because they were not as talented as he was. Lasix limits EIPH; it doesn't confer talent.

Both corrective surgery and Lasix permit horses to run to the limit of their talent. It's an apt comparison.

I like a trainer having the option to reduce the chances a horse is going to bleed in the lungs during a race.

I disagree. Horses that don't bleed run faster with Lasix than without too. Your Smarty Jones point is off base. Maybe he was just that much more talented. He certainly ran his best ever races in the Derby and Preakness on my ratings, and I'm nearly certain he didn't bleed in any of the races. There really is no point going on with this if you don't want to believe that. Drug them all, that will help the sport's image.

And again, Jerry Brown has been doing this a lot longer than I have and he believes it too. You think he doesn't know what he is talking about?

[Arletta]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

I disagree. Horses that don't bleed run faster with Lasix than without too. Your Smarty Jones point is off base. Maybe he was just that much more talented. He certainly ran his best ever races in the Derby and Preakness on my ratings, and I'm nearly certain he didn't bleed in any of the races. There really is no point going on with this if you don't want to believe that. Drug them all, that will help the sport's image.

And again, Jerry Brown has been doing this a lot longer than I have and he believes it too. You think he doesn't know what he is talking about?

Is there any proof of this? That just sounds preposterous!

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Arletta

Is there any proof of this? That just sounds preposterous!

Preposterous that a drug could make horses run faster? Come on.

Like I said, Jerry Brown thinks so, and so do I. I don't know the exact reasons, I'm not a vet. I do know I run faster when I weigh 200 then when I weigh 225. We don't get the information on which horses bled and how severe so until that happens it is impossible to prove.

[Arletta]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Preposterous that a drug could make horses run faster? Come on.

Like I said, Jerry Brown thinks so, and so do I. I don't know the exact reasons, I'm not a vet. I do know I run faster when I weigh 200 then when I weigh 225. We don't get the information on which horses bled and how severe so until that happens it is impossible to prove.

So is there any proof to what your saying about Lasix.. not any other drug.. just lasix.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Arletta

So is there any proof to what your saying about Lasix.. not any other drug.. just lasix.

There has been at least one study posted on this site that say it does, yes. I'm sure you can find it.

I already said I can't prove it because the public isn't given that information. We don't know if horses that raced without Lasix are then given it because they bled or not.

It is a very complicated thing to study and somebody would have to be well versed in measuring racehorse speed and determining if horses bled and how much. It could be done, but I don't think either pro or anti Lasix people really know how to do it to be honest.

All I can say is I trust what I believe because I put money through the windows on those opinions. It works. I wish Lasix wasn't given as commonly now as it is because there aren't many opportunities, save foreign shippers and a few trainers that don't use it early in a horse's career.